Golden Visa
The Greek Permanent Residency Program provides the most cost-effective entry pathway to acquire EU residency for the entire family. This entails a minimal investment of €250,000 in real estate and grants visa-free travel privileges within the Schengen Zone. On July 31st, 2023 the minimum investment amount for property acquisition under the Greece Golden Visa program was raised to €500,000 in the municipalities of Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos and Santorini.
The capital outlay
Advantages
The Greek Golden Visa program empowers non-EU citizens, along with their dependents (up to the age of 24) and the parents of both spouses, to attain permanent residency status in the European Union – Greece, and enjoy the following privileges:
✔ UNLIMITED RESIDENCE in Greece or the option to continue residing in their home country.
✔ NO MANDATORY PHYSICAL PRESENCE requirement in Greece.
✔ UNRESTRICTED TRAVEL (entry) to all EU countries and a total of 184 countries.
✔ VISA-FREE TRAVEL TO SCHENGEN nations, allowing a maximum stay of 90 days within a 6-month period, with multiple entries permitted in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as Iceland and Norway.
✔ UTILIZATION OF THE PERMIT as needed.
✔ ACCESS TO GREECE’S public education and healthcare systems.
✔ RENEWAL (EVERY 5 YEARS) without the obligation to reside permanently in the country.
Renwal of residence permits for real estate owners - Prerequisites
The residence permit is renewable every five (5) years, contingent upon the fulfillment of the following conditions:
✔ The ownership of the real estate property must remain with the applicant in full (or, in the case of a lease, the relevant leases/contracts must remain valid).
✔ Periods of absence from the country do not hinder the renewal of the residence permit.
✔ In the event of selling the real estate property during the validity period of the residence permit, the new owner, who is a citizen of another third country, gains the right to a residence permit, while simultaneously the seller’s residence permit is revoked.
Frequently asked questions about the Golden Visa
The residence permit is valid for five (5) years and can be renewed for an additional five years each time, provided that the applicant maintains ownership of the property.
Yes, family members, including the spouse (husband/wife), children, investor’s parents, and spouse’s parents, can request individual residence permits. Separate applications must be submitted, and their permits expire concurrently with the investor’s.
Yes, Article 8, paragraph 30, Law 4332/2015 allows a third country citizen to apply for long-term resident status, which, if granted, is a prerequisite for applying for Greek citizenship by naturalization, provided all other requirements are met.
No, this residence permit does not grant the right to access employment (Article 20, paragraph 6, Law 4251/2014). However, it excludes economic activity in the capacity of a shareholder or Chief Executive Officer of companies established before the application for the residence permit.
An entry visa is required only if you come from a country whose citizens need one to enter Greece.
The holder can stay continuously in Greece throughout its validity, travel to other Schengen countries without a visa for up to 90 days within a 6-month period, and access health and education services similar to Greek citizens.
The residence permit is typically issued within 2 months from the complete application submission or its arrival at the Decentralized Administration.
Yes, if all supporting documents are submitted, a proof of submission is issued. For first-time applications, this proof of submission allows the scheduling of an appointment for fingerprinting, marking the beginning of the permanent residence permit process. If the applicant is in Greece on the submission day, fingerprints can be provided on the same day.
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